Offering a discount to your fellow members can be a powerful way to promote yourself within the group. While it is not expected or required, having an ‘exclusive offer’ every month or so can help your fellow members remember you more easily. Here are a few key points to keep in mind:
- ,li>Sustainable Discounts: Ensure your discounts are sustainable and do not cause a loss. No one expects you to work for free, so set your discounts at a reasonable level that maintains your business's profitability.
- Time-Limited Offers: Always put a time limit on each offer. Communicate clearly that the exclusive offer is only valid until the end of a specific month.
- Targeted Spread: Limit the spread of the offer by stating that it is available only to your group members and their family and friends. This keeps the offer manageable and more exclusive.
- Clear Communication: Fellow group members may forget crucial details about the offer, such as its time limits. Emphasize these limits when promoting the offer. Printing a leaflet detailing the offer and distributing it at group meetings can help. Additionally, create a page on your website (e.g., yourdomainname.com/offers) and keep it up to date. Follow up your presentation with an email to the membership detailing the offer, so they have it in writing.
- Regular Promotion: Promote the offer regularly to ensure the group remembers the details and limits. If it's the last week of an offer, make a big deal about the ‘last chance to save’ at the meeting.
- Inform Your Staff: Ensure you inform your staff about the discounts offered via the group. Nothing is more embarrassing than having a member complain that they didn’t receive the discount because your staff was unaware of it.
- Avoid Approval Buying: Do not offer discounts as a way of buying approval. Newer members might believe they need to give huge discounts to succeed, but this is often detrimental in the long run. Offering excessive discounts sets a precedent that might be unsustainable. Remember, you need to make money to survive.
- Effective Consultation Offers: One of the most effective discounts is offering a ‘no obligation, cost-free consultation’, especially in industries known for charging for consultations. This allows fellow members to recommend you without it costing their contacts anything but time. Consider limiting these free consultations to meetings held at your offices to control the impact on your business day.
Remember, the goal of offering discounts is not to buy business but to encourage members to try your services and, having done so, promote you to their contacts.